Various types of heat-supply regulating means are known to the art. These regulating means are normally controlled by prevailing ambient temperatures.
Heat-supply regulating means for dwellings, shops, storage installation, warehouses and like buildings comprise heat-emitting and delivering devices controlled by apparatus therefor, normally in dependence on the prevailing ambient temperature, temperature variations per unit of time, etc.. It is normal in such arrangements to permit the heat-delivering device to regulate the water temperature of a water-carried heating system.
As an example of one such known arrangement, reference is made to the use described in the German Offenlegungsschrift 25 28 749.
The use described and illustrated in the German Offenlegungsschrift 31 38 844 can also be considered to form part of this art.
Practical experience has shown that such heating control systems as those employing a device which is responsive to ambient temperature as a means for controlling the heating system function relatively satisfactorily within the majority of temperature ranges. It has been observed, however, that particularly when temperatures lie around 0.degree. C., malfunctions occur in these control systems, since the indoor temperature often falls beneath a desired level, often to such an extent as to lie beneath a so-called comfort level.
Various solutions to this problem have been proposed, in the form of means incorporated in the heating circuit which when the ambient temperature lies around 0.degree. C. deceive the control equipment, via different compensating circuits, into believing that the ambient temperature is lower than it actually is and consequently to send to the control equipment impulses which correspond to a considerable increase in heat requirements.
The apparatus illustrated and described in the German Offenlegungsschrift 31 47 669 also forms part of the known art.
This specification refers to a method for heating confined spaces, particularly workshop localities and like spaces used for certain periods of time for industrial purposes, in which working periods of stable working temperature are to be interrupted by periods of lower temperature, and in which heating of the confined space, upon completion of a low-temperature period, to the requisite working temperature shall be effected within a given limited period of time. In this method, the prevailing humidity of the enclosed space is determined and the value obtained is used as a control magnitude in the heating of said space.
Also forming part of the known art is an arrangement for determining the humidity of a gas flow, by supplying energy and measuring temperature variations. One such arrangement is described and illustrated in Swiss Pat. No. 612 007.